The United Kingdom will provide Saudi Arabia with “defensive air-to-air refuelling” support following attacks on the country by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said.
Burnham disclosed this while travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, saying the support followed a request from Saudi Arabia for military assistance.
The arrangement is expected to begin in the coming days and will initially involve a British RAF Voyager aircraft operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
British officials said the deployment would be “time limited” and could last for several weeks.
According to the UK government, the defensive assistance could include supporting Saudi fighter jets as they attempt to intercept missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.
The Voyager aircraft will provide air-to-air refuelling to help extend the range and endurance of the Saudi aircraft.
The Houthis have recently claimed responsibility for drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting Riyadh and energy facilities along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia is backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its conflict with the Houthis.
Explaining the decision, Burnham said the UK had to protect its economic interests and maintain vital regional trade routes.
“I go back to the point I made about cost-of-living pressures and acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region,” he said.
“Because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attacks, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways open, and hence our agreement to the request.”
The Red Sea is a major international shipping corridor, with disruption to the route capable of affecting global trade and energy supplies.
The latest British deployment comes amid a wider escalation of the conflict in Yemen.
The UK previously joined the United States in carrying out air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in January 2024 after attacks on commercial vessels and a Royal Navy warship.
Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described those strikes as “necessary, proportionate, and targeted” and said they were carried out to protect lives and commercial shipping.
British officials have stressed that the latest assistance is limited, with the government expected to review the deployment after the initial period.
The development also follows comments by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who recently indicated that European countries were discussing how they could support Saudi Arabia.
Energy Minister Martin McCluskey had also told MPs that the UK was “providing air defence support” to Saudi Arabia through its defence partnership with the country, although he declined to provide details about military operations.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government in a conflict that has continued in different forms since 2014.
